


By Your Side

by idkimoutofideas



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Fire Fam - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkimoutofideas/pseuds/idkimoutofideas
Summary: While TK is in the hospital recovering from his gunshot wound, the team take turns staying by his side.
Relationships: Judd Ryder & TK Strand, Marjan Marwani & TK Strand, Mateo Chavez & TK Strand, Paul Strickland & TK Strand
Comments: 4
Kudos: 92





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> I finished watching this show like two days ago and couldn't get this idea out of my head so here you go. I love the firefam and I need so many more fics about them.

Marjan

“Are you sure about this?” Owen didn’t even look at Marjan as he asked the question, his eyes were glued to the figure of TK lying in a hospital bed.

“Cap, he’ll be fine, I promise.” Marjan put her hand on Owen’s shoulder and started to lead him to the door.

“What if he wakes up?” Owen asked, sidestepping Marjan’s grip.

“We’ll let you know. You’ve been here for ages, go home. Take a shower, eat some food, and sleep in a real bed.” Marjan insisted. “If anything happens we’ll call you.” Owen hovered in the doorway to the room for another moment, not wanting to leave his son. Marjan could tell the moment he gave in, his shoulders slumping as he released a long breath.

“Okay, okay. But I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Marjan could hear the exhaustion in Owens’ voice, and shook her head firmly.

“Cap, no offense, but if I hear that you’re back here in less than four hours I will personally take you home and won’t let you leave until you sleep. Understood?” Owen met Marjan’s gaze for the first time since she arrived, and he gave her the tiniest smile. 

“Alright, fine.” He sighed, but continued to stand in the doorway, staring at a motionless TK. Eventually he shook himself out of whatever trance he was in and forced himself to leave the room, though Marjan could tell every step he was taking away from his son was causing him pain. “Four hours. Ok, four hours.” Owen muttered to himself as he walked away. Marjan watched Owen for a little longer before turning to look at TK. She slowly made her way over and sat down into the chair that was placed by his bed.

“Hey TK.” Marjan said after a moment of silence. “I don’t know how much of that you heard, or if you even heard any of it.” Marjan had heard stories from people claiming that when someone was in a coma they could hear what was happening around them, but she didn’t know if it was true. She wanted it to be true. “Your dad’s going home for a little. To eat something that isn’t hospital food and take a shower. Believe me he needs a shower.” Marjan smiled, but it quickly faded. “We won’t leave you alone, don’t worry. I’ve talked to Mateo and Paul and Judd and we’ve all agreed to keep you company while your dad gets some rest.”

Marjan paused, and took a moment to just look at her friend. It was strange, seeing TK lying so still on a hospital bed. He always had so much life in him, an energy he brought everywhere he went.

“I didn’t think it was possible for Cap to be any more neurotic than he already was but here we are.” Marjan said, letting out a small laugh before falling into silence once more.

She’d thought the constant beeping of the machines that TK was hooked up to would bother her, get on her nerves, but she found that she didn’t mind them. They were a reminder that TK was okay, that he was safe. She sighed and leaned forward in the chair so she could grab TK’s hand, just to hold it and remind herself that he was alive.

“I was right behind your dad when you got shot.” Marjan said after several minutes passed. “I was the only one close enough to see the look on his face and…” Marjan blew out a long breath as she relived the event. “He was terrified.” She finished quietly. Marjan didn’t think she would be able to forget the look on Cap’s face for the rest of her life. The absolute look of panic and terror when he realized what had happened.

Owen had been so panicked that he forgot about the rest of the world, the only thing he could focus on was his son, and Marjan didn’t blame him. Judd was the one who stepped up and ordered the rest of them to take care of the person they’d been called for while Michelle and her team dealt with TK. Marjan had barely been able to focus enough to work, her mind kept replaying TK’s blood splatter onto the wall behind him. Another sight she’d never be able to forget.

“I know you’re going to be fine.” Marjan said eventually, sitting up in the chair and speaking past the lump in her throat. “I know you’re going to be fine, because if you aren’t I will personally kick your ass back into shape.” She glared at TK, though there was no heat behind it.

“Besides, who else is going to almost get killed by corn with me?” Marjan’s laugh got caught in her throat and she had to take a moment before she could speak clearly again.

“You’ll be okay, TK. I know you will.”

\-----

Mateo

Mateo stood frozen at the entrance of TK’s room. Marjan had left five minutes ago, but Mateo was still just standing there. He couldn’t get himself to enter the room. He just stood and stared, unable to take his eyes off his friend lying motionless in a hospital bed.

Every part of Mateo was telling him to run away. Telling him that if he ran far enough, ran fast enough, he could pretend like this wasn’t happening and that TK was fine. But he’d promised Cap and the others that he’d stay by TK’s side, so he would. Even if by his side was several feet away, looking in from the hallway.

Mateo would’ve spent his whole time there hovering outside of TK’s room, unable to get himself to cross the threshold. But someone on the intercom said something about a code red or blue or something and people started rushing through the hallway. He glanced down the hall and instinctively stepped into the room so he wouldn’t be in the way as people moved past him, then froze again.

Now that Mateo was in the room, he couldn’t bring himself to look at TK. As if now that he was closer, seeing his friend in a hospital bed would make it real. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet. How was he supposed to do this?

Slowly, woodenly, Mateo moved closer to TK. One step, deep breath. Another step, several deep breaths. He could feel the panic rising inside him, and with every breath he forced it down until he was standing right next to TK.

“Oh man.” Mateo’s voice was barely more than a whisper. He was standing right next to TK, but couldn’t even look at his friend's face. As much as he tried, Mateo’s eyes stayed fixed on TK’s hand.

What was he supposed to say? Mateo had no doubt that TK could hear him, even if he might not remember when he woke up. But Mateo had no idea what to say in this situation. The longer he stood there, the louder the silence got. The beeps of the machines started to grate on his nerves, until they were the only thing he could focus on, blocking out all other thoughts Mateo had.

“Buttercup misses you.” Mateo blurted when the noise of the machines became too much. “He… he misses you.” Mateo repeated, quieter this time.

He took a deep breath, and forced himself to look at TK’s face. He was right, seeing his friend up close like this made it real. Mateo didn’t like the silence of the room, and found himself talking again, unable to stop.

“Buttercup sleeps on your bed, and refuses to sleep anywhere else.” Mateo chewed on his lip for a moment. “He whines at your locker, and waits for you whenever we come back from a call. I think he also chewed up another pair of your shoes.” Mateo frowned. “But it’s just because he misses you!” He added hastily. “We all miss you.”

“We can get you a new pair of shoes when you wake up, okay? And we’ll take Buttercup on long walks and sneak him food off of the table when we eat and pretend like we’re not.” Mateo shifted his weight from foot to foot as he spoke.

“The station’s quiet without you. Judd says he likes the peace but we all know he misses you too. And Cap’s going a little crazy. He wants to stay with you as much as possible but I know he feels like he’s abandoning the station even though he’s not.”

Mateo kept rambling, the words pouring out of him. He talked about anything and everything that didn’t have to do with TK being unconscious in a hospital bed. Like if he ignored it then TK would be okay.

At one point Mateo stopped talking so he could breathe, and he found himself just staring at TK again. “Please be okay, TK.” Mateo whispered. “Please.”

\-----

Paul

Paul watched as Mateo disappeared down the hallway, shoulders hunched and hands shoved into his pockets as he stared resolutely at the ground. Paul shook his head slowly and turned to look at TK.

“Hey man.” Paul made his way over to the chair that was by the bed and sat. “I’d ask how you’re doing but I think the answer’s pretty evident.” Paul let out a weak chuckle. If he tried, Paul could almost pretend that TK was just taking a nap. The only thing that suggested an injury was a small amount of gauze peeking out from under TK’s collar.

“Shit, man.” Paul muttered. “You really stepped in it this time.” Paul sat in silence for a while. TK looked so… pale. Paul still remembered how much blood had pooled around TK when he got shot. Too much blood.

“I, uh,” Paul cleared his throat. “I realized that I never said thank you. For being a friend and cheering me up when Josie…” dumped wasn’t the right word, they hadn’t even been dating. “I don’t know if this counts, cause you probably can’t hear me, but thank you. It meant a lot.” Paul cleared his throat again, there was something stuck in it that he couldn’t get out. 

“Everyone misses you.” Paul said eventually when the mechanical beeping of the various machines TK was hooked up to started to get on his nerves. “We’re all trying to act normal, but they’re not doing a very good job.” Paul took a deep breath.

“Marjan is pretending she’s fine, Mateo’s not even pretending. And let me tell you, the station’s a lot quieter now that you and Judd aren’t arguing all the time.” Paul smiled a little. “He’s worried about you, even though he won’t admit it. We all are.” Paul sighed again. “Everyone’s worried. Some of the people on the other shifts have been asking about you, if you’re ok, when you’re going to wake up, or come back to work. I tell them that you’re fine, because I know you are, but damn it’s hard.”

“I wouldn’t say you’re the glue of our team, cause we all know that’s me.” Paul joked, though his smile didn’t last. “But you make us feel like a family. You make stupid decisions with Marjan, have the same immature humor as Mateo, butt heads with Judd often enough to make life interesting. And Cap’s your dad so you can translate the cryptic shit he says. And we, well…” Paul blew out a long breath. “We get each other, and you bring a little sanity to the team.” He smiled ruefully.

“The station’s not the same without you. Well, you and Cap. Judd’s the acting captain for now, and he hasn’t let it go to his head yet, but it’s different. The calls feel more serious, now that we’re all aware of what could go wrong.” Paul leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “It’s the elephant in the room, everyone wants to talk about it but no one wants to talk about it, you know?”

“I know you’ll be ok in the end, but it’s not the end I’m worried about. It’s all the things that happen in between.”

\-----

Judd

“Aw, hell.” Judd blew out a long breath as he looked down at TK. At his friend, his brother. “C’mon TK.” Jud sank down into the chair next to TK’s bed and leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.

“Helluva thing, ain’t it? Out of all the places we’re called, tornadoes, house fires, corn silos, barns full of exploding cans of bull stuff.” Judd smiled a little. “Out of all of that, the call you get injured on is a fucking heart attack.” Judd shook his head. “You know if you wanted time off of work you could’ve just said so.” He let out a small laugh but quickly fell silent. 

“I don’t even know why I’m talking. It’s not like you can hear me.” Judd glanced up at TK’s face, hoping for a flicker of something, but wasn’t surprised when there was nothing. “People claim that if someone’s in a coma they can still hear what’s happening around them, but that’s bullshit.” Judd blew out a harsh breath and leaned back in his chair.

“I know you can’t hear me, but it’s still worth saying.” Judd took a deep breath. “Dammit TK, this shouldn’t have happened. It’s not even your fault this time! You’re always putting yourself at risk to help others, and despite all the reckless shit you’ve done you’ve made it out no worse for wear. But the one time it’s a simple call, that’s when you almost die.” Judd sighed. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve responded to a call about a heart attack. Usually the only person in danger is the person who’s actually having the heart attack.” Judd shook his head and lapsed into silence.

He knew TK would be fine. Judd had been around his fair share of injuries on the job and the fact that Michelle and her team were already there when it happened had been a godsend. If they hadn’t been there Judd doesn’t know what would’ve happened.

As lucky as they were, it still wasn’t a fun ordeal. Judd couldn’t imagine the panic Owen must’ve been feeling, seeing his kid nearly die in front of him. And though Judd got the feeling this wasn’t the first time this had happened between TK and Owen, that didn’t make it any less scary.

Judd just needed TK to wake up. Once TK woke up it would mean that he was on the road to recovery, and that meant that Owen could come back to work. Judd appreciated the bump in pay he received since he was the acting captain for now, but he hated the responsibility. Judd was quick on his feet when it came to emergencies, experience was a hell of a teacher, but ever since TK had been shot the whole team had been on edge. Hyper aware of everything and anything that could go wrong. He knew Owen felt responsible for what happened to TK, and as misplaced as that guilt was, Judd didn’t think he could handle it if something happened to one of the team while he was in charge.

“You’re my brother TK.” Judd said, his voice so quiet TK would’ve had a hard time hearing him even if he was awake. “I’ve lost my brothers before and I-” He had to pause for a moment as something got caught in his throat. “I can’t lose another one.” Judd finished quietly. He sighed and rubbed his face.

“I know you’re ok, so do us all a favor and wake up.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to talk about this show or give me other firefam prompts I'm on tumblr @ idkimoutofideas


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